As representatives of the re- sponsible companion animal community, we at the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council are
committed to working with pet
owners and those who serve their
needs to address issues of national
concern, such as illegal breeding.
Unfortunately, pet sale bans are
not the solution.

We are firm believers in theimportance of pet choice—theopportunity for prospective petowners to educate themselves onall of the options available to themprior to bringing a pet into theirhome. In some cases, adoption isan excellent option; in others, it isnot. We believe that responsiblepet ownership begins with iden-tifying the ideal companion ani-mal—regardless of source. Thisis the single best way to reducerelinquishments to shelters acrossthe country.

Alina Dizik correctly point-ed out in her Wall Street Journalarticle dated Feb. 9, “Adoptinga Pet Gets Easier, With Help ofBig Retailers,” that there havebeen more than 100 municipali-ties across the country that haveenacted prohibitions on the retailsale of dogs and cats. It shouldbe noted, however, that roughlytwo-thirds of the municipalitiesthat have passed these ordi-nances have done so without asingle pet store operating with-in their jurisdictions (includingPittsburgh), and many othersthat have done so had only oneor two stores selling dogs andcats at the time of passage. Thesepreemptive bans have necessari-ly had no impact on pet popula-tions or illegal breeding, both ofwhich are important issues de-serving of greater attention andreal solutions.

66 Pet Product News international April 2016By B.C. HeNsCHeN

Have you ever watched paint dry? That’s how I feel at imes during the Association
of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) meetings—they’re
long and drawn out. However,
sometimes, when paint dries
you notice the color has changed
slightly, and when you step back,
you realize you love how it turned
out. A couple of those moments
happened for me at the AAFCO
meeting in January.

Some day in the future I will be
telling my grandkids how I was
there the day the AAFCO definition for feed grade was changed.
I will explain that “feed grade”
once was defined as “suitable for
animal consumption.” They will
turn their heads and say, “
Grandpa, what exactly does that mean?”
And I will say, “Ah-ha, you see
the problem.” That is why the
consumer advocates on the board
at AAFCO fought so hard to nail
down a real definition.

At this point, I imagine mygrandkids will be at the edges oftheir seats just waiting to hear thenew definition. What I was thereto see passed is: “Feed grade: ma-terial that has been determined tobe safe, functional and suitablefor its intended use in animalfood, is handled and labeled ap-propriately, and conforms to thefederal food, drug and cosmeticact unless otherwise expresslypermitted by the appropriatestate or federal agency.”I’m sure the next thing I willhear is, “Wow, Grandpa, that defi-nition clearly has some food safety,but why did they add ‘function-al’?” (My grandchildren of the fu-ture obviously are well versed inthe finer points of labeling.) “Func-tional” means that what goes intothe food can be used by the animalthat is eating the food versus some-thing the animal’s digestive systemcould not use as a food source.

The tide is turning. Consumers are demanding more information, clearer information and
assurances that they are feeding their pets safe food. AAFCO is hearing it from consumer
advocates like Susan Thixton
( truthaboutpetfood.com) and
from manufacturers. In fact, at
this same meeting I witnessed a
huge mass manufacturer of pet
food stand up and advocate for
updated label requirements.

“Consumers who purchase
mac and cheese in the grocery
store are the same people going
to the pet food aisle to purchase
pet foods, and the labels of each
food are very different,” he said.

This was a representative ofa company that I thought wouldhave liked to have label require-ments loosened so they could for-mulate foods even more cheaply.

That in itself shows manufacturers are hearing the complaints
from consumers about clarity in
their pet food labeling.

I must admit going to these
meetings is a struggle. Not only
are they expensive, but I also
wonder at times if it really means
anything in the scope of my business. I don’t know that it will
ever mean dollars in the register;
however, because of these meetings I am certainly more educated
about the entire pet food process.

For example, customers often
focus on the words “no byproducts” when they read a pet food
label. Then the customer mentions that she is glad her pet isn’t
eating hooves and fur. While the
customer is to be applauded for
wanting a great food, byproducts
have never included hooves and
fur. So, I use this conversation to
further educate the customer. (I
would not have known the definitions or understood the nuances
had I not attended the meetings.) I
tell the customer what byproducts
really are and why I don’t like to
see them listed on pet food labels.

Another byproduct (see whatI did there) of these meetings isbeing able to see who’s in atten-dance and get insight into theircommitment and philosophies.

A great example of this occurredright after a presentation from theU.S. Food and Drug Administra-tion on the results of the raw foodinvestigation. After the presen-tation came a call for questionsand comments. Only one raw petfood manufacturer representativestood up and shared insight fromthe manufacturer side and ques-tioned some of the data that wasgiven. It’s interesting to me thatthe raw manufacturers who wereat the meeting and who didn’tgive any input on their industryare the same manufacturers whodon’t meet my guidelines to besold in my store. The representa-tive who did speak was from oneof the smallest raw manufacturers(a product I carry and highly rec-ommend) at the meeting.

This same representative told
me she thought anyone getting
into this business should have
to read the AAFCO official publication twice. I don’t know if
I’d wish that upon anyone, but
I agree that anyone selling pet
food should be required to peruse the official publication and,
if they truly are committed to
pet food safety, attend a meeting. If that’s not feasible, make
sure to send your questions or
comments to AAFCO via Susan
Thixton or to Dr. Jean Hofve
( littlebigcat.com), the two consumer advocates on the board.

B.C. HeNsCHeN, a certified pet care technician and an
accredited pet trainer, is a partner in PlAtiNuM PAws,
a full-service pet salon and premium pet food store in
Carmel, ind. His knowledge of the pet food industry
makes Platinum Paws the go-to store for pet owners
who want more for their pet than a bag off a shelf.

The Payoff of ProcessHere’s why I attend Association of American Feed ControlOfficials meetings, as painful as they might seem.

Mike BoBer is the president and Ceo of washington,
D.C.-based Pet iNDustry JoiNt ADvisory CouNCil,
whose mission is to promote responsible pet ownership and pet welfare, foster environmental stewardship and ensure the availability of pets.